In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Islam is an Arabic word, which linguistically means "submission". It is the religion of submission to the one Creator of all that exists and singling Him out in all forms of worship.

The Arabic term for God is Allah, which literally means "the one who is worthy of worship." Allah is above His creation and separate from it, and He is the only one who is worthy of any type of worship. Allah says in the Qur'an:

“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.”

Surah 41, Verse 37

The primary sources of Islamic teachings are the Qur’an and the Sunnah. The Qur’an is the uncreated literal speech of Allah, which He revealed through the Angle Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them both. The Sunnah consists of the direct sayings, teachings, actions, and affirmations of the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace, which Allah has commanded us to follow in the Qur’an.

The basic beliefs and practices of Muslims can be understood by examining three sets of fundamental principles: the six pillars of Iman (faith), the five pillars of Islam, and the objectives of the sharia (Islamic law).

The Six Pillars of Iman

Iman refers to faith in Islam, including belief in the heart, affirmation of it with the tongue, and works on the limbs that reflect this belief. It is founded upon six pillars, which Muslims must completely accept and believe in with all their details that have been mentioned in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah:

1. Belief in Allah: This entails four things:

   1. Belief in His existence

   2. Belief that He is the only Creator, Provider, and one who manages the affairs of His creation

   3. Only directing all forms of worship to Him alone and none other, including prayer, supplication, repentance, seeking divine assistance, spiritual fear, etc.

   4. Belief in His perfect and unique names and attributes without likening them to those of His creation, denial, distortion, or inquiring into their nature beyond what has been revealed to us

2. Belief in the Angels: These are a creation of Allah, ordinarily beyond our perception, that Allah created from light to carry out His commands. Unlike humans and jinn, they do not have free will, and do not possess the ability to disobey Allah. Angles have different duties assigned to them, such as delivering revelation to the prophets, bringing down rain, and taking of souls at the time of death.

3. Belief in the Prophets: Allah did not leave humanity without guidance or purpose in life. Rather, He sent prophets and messengers from among them, bringing good news of reward and warning of His wrath and punishment, commanding the people to single out Allah with all forms of worship and to implement His commands in all aspects of their lives. Among these prophets are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus, peace be upon all of them. The final prophet and messenger, who it is obligatory upon all humans and jinn to follow from his time until the world comes to an end, is the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace, who was sent in the 7th century CE (about 1400 years ago) in the city of Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia.

4. Belief in the Revealed Books: Many of the prophets came with books, revealed to them by Allah as guidance for their people. These include the Torah given to Moses, the Psalm given to David, and the Gospel given to Jesus, peace be upon all of Allah’s messengers. These books did not last in preserved form to our time, and they were specific to the people that the messengers were sent to, such as the Children of Israel. Thus, Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace, with the Qur’an, which is the final revelation of Allah, a mercy and source of guidance for all of mankind, which Allah promised to preserve until the end of time.

5. Belief in the Day of Resurrection: This world is a temporary testing ground, where we are tested with ease and difficulty so that the believers, who believe in Allah and His messengers and are thankful and obedient to Him, become distinct from those who turn away in disbelief and disobedience. As such, a day will come when this world as we know it will be destroyed. Subsequently, all humans and jinn will be resurrected and judged according to their beliefs and actions. Those who believed in Allah and followed His messengers will be rewarded with eternal paradise, and those who disbelieved in Allah and turned away will be punished in eternal Hellfire. This day is called the Day of Resurrection, or the Day of Judgment.

6. Belief in Divine Decree and Predestination: Muslims believe that everything, both good and bad, happens according to the will of Allah. This specifically includes belief in four things:

   1. That Allah knows everything that occurs: past, present, and future

   2. That Allah has written everything that will take place

   3. That Allah decrees and wills everything that takes place

   4. That Allah creates everything that exists or takes place

While Muslims affirm that everything takes place according to Allah’s will, there is no implication that humans are compelled to do right or wrong against their own will. Rather, humans and jinn have the ability to choose between right and wrong, and are therefore held responsible for the choices that they make.

The Five Pillars of Islam

The five pillars of Islam are the five most important actions that a Muslim performs in actualizing the six pillars of Iman. They are:

1. Shahada (Testimony of Faith): Testifying that, "There nothing is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." This testimony is to be made verbally while believing in its meaning, which is summarized in the six pillars of Iman. It must be accompanied by the basic knowledge of its meaning, certainty of its truthfulness, complete acceptance of it, acting upon it by following the teachings of Islam (to the best of one’s ability) for the rest of one’s life, sincerity, truthfulness in acceptance of it, and love of Allah and His religion. Accepting that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah also entails believing everything that he came with, implementing his commands, avoiding what he prohibited, and only worshiping Allah the way he taught us to do so.

2. Salat (Prayer): Establishing the five obligatory daily prayers in their respective times, which are distributed throughout the day of a Muslim. This establishes a constant connection and reminder of Allah throughout a Muslim's life so that the Muslim is always conscious of Allah.

3. Zakat (Almsgiving): Payment of Zakat, which is an obligatory payment that is made to specific categories of people in need on an annual basis. This act purifies wealth and helps to reduce inequality, emphasizing charity and social responsibility. This establishes a strong connection between a Muslim and his community, as Islam emphasizes keeping the rights of Allah through worship of Him and maintaining the rights Allah has established for His creation as well.

4. Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan): Fasting the month of Ramadan, which lasts 29 or 30 days of every lunar year. Muslims refrain from food, drink, and sexual pleasures from dawn until sunset for the duration of the month. Muslims also refrain from vain speech, argumentation, and other matters displeasing to Allah. In this way, this month of devotion and refraining from pleasures is a training ground for Muslims that establishes a foundation for their behavior and consciousness of Allah during the rest of the year.

5. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca): Performing the Sacred Pilgrimage to Mecca, otherwise known as Hajj, at least once in a lifetime, provided the person is able physically and financially.

The Objectives of the Sharia

Sharia refers to Islamic law, which governs the personal, family, social, and political affairs of Muslims comprehensively. There are many rulings that Muslims have to follow, but they are summarized in the following key objectives, which consist of rights of humans that Islam commands to be preserved:

1. Preservation of Religion: Humans have the right to know and practice to true religion. This is why Allah sent prophets and messengers to direct humanity to the worship of Allah alone and the abandonment of everything that is worshiped besides Him, followed in His disobedience, or obeyed in opposition to His command. Thus, everything that harms people in their religion, such as polytheism, astrology, and superstitions, is prohibited in Islam. This being said, Muslims are commanded to treat non-Muslims who do not harm them in their religion or expel them from their homes with kindness and justice, to call them to Islam with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and by debating with them in the best manner.

2. Preservation of Life: One of the most heinous crimes in Islam is murder. Giving and taking life is the sole right of Allah, and He has made life a fundamental right that it is impermissible to violate. Islam unequivocally condemns murder, terrorism, suicide, and actions such as smoking that kill over a period of time.

3. Preservation of Intellect: Islam prohibits anything that harms people in their intellect, such as alcohol, marijuana, and other intoxicants. Islam also encourages Muslims to use their intellects to learn their religion and whatever worldly sciences are of benefit to the Muslims, such as medicine, and to teach others, as Islam is a religion that is founded heavily upon knowledge.

4. Preservation of Wealth: Islam prohibits the violation of other people’s property by stealing, cheating, scamming, or any other form of taking what does not belong to a person. Islam also prohibits gambling, interest-based loans, and all other forms of financial irresponsibility or exploitation.

5. Preservation of Lineage: Islam strongly endorses and protects the family unit and the preservation of a person’s identity and lineage. Anything that threatens this, such as adultery, immodest dress and behavior, or needless mixing between the genders is prohibited. Islam also rejects anything that involves changing one’s ascription of lineage, such as the practice of a woman changing her last name upon marriage or the practice of calling adopted children after their foster parents. While Islam encourages adoption and taking care of orphans with the utmost care and compassion, Islam also demands that they not forget their origins, linage, and identity, so they are still ascribed to their biological parents.

Some Muslim scholars also include preservation of honor, which no doubt is also something of great importance in Islam. Islam prohibits slander, backbiting, tale-carrying, accusing women (or men) in their honor and chastity, and anything else which disgraces people unjustly.

What now?

We invite you to reach out to us at outreach@madisonmuslims.org for more information, free translations of the Qur’an or other materials, or with any questions you may have about Islam. We also have monthly open houses, where you can learn more and ask questions in person.

Finally, we would like to invite you to accept the one true religion that Allah sent all the prophets and messengers with: to turn away from the worship of created beings and have a direct relationship with your Creator, to follow His final messenger Muhammad (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace), to save yourself from eternal punishment, and to tread the path of true happiness in this world and salvation in the next.

The Prophet Muhammad, may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace, said, “Whoever testifies that nothing is worthy of worship except Allah, alone without any partners, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, and that Jesus is the servant of Allah and His messenger and a Word from Him given to Mary (meaning Allah said to him “be” and he was miraculously, without a father) and a soul from Him, and Paradise is true and Hellfire is true, Allah will admit him to paradise with whatever works he is upon” (recorded in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the two most reliable and famous compilations of the statements of the Prophet). He also said, “By the One in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one from this nation will hear about me – not a Jew nor a Christian – then die not having believed in what I was sent with except he will be from the inhabitants of the Fire” (recorded in Sahih Muslim). Allah says in the Qur'an:

"O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become pious. (The One) who has made the Earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals unto Allâh (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped).”

Surah 2, Verses 21 and 22

Thank you for reading!